Annealing box



A ril 14, '1925.

' H. H. HUMMEL ANNEALING BOX Filed July 27, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Apiril I4, 1925 H, H. HUMMEL ANNEALING BOX Filed July 27, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 311155!!!IIIIIIIIIIIlI/III ,0

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base or support. I a In the preferred embodiment of the, in-

immune 14, 1925;

nowann H. HUMMEL, or BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 STEELEOMPANY, OF. BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 01 PENNSYL- VANIL f hmmanme BOX.

Application filed July 27, 1821. Serial No. 487,918. I

To all whom it mayaoncem:

Be it known that I, HOWARD H. HUMMEL, residing at Bethlehem, in the,v county of Lehigh and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Annealing Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to annealing boxes,

Jand in the form shown is made in a one 1 piece metal casting. It resides in certain structural features and arrangement of parts desi ned primarily to prevent distortion or brea age underthe strains of use due to expansion andcontraction under varying tem- It accomplishes that result or purpose and prolongs the usefulglife of the box through the shape or. form of the metal walls and cover of substantially uniform thickness without the necessity for addi- 20 tional or separate strengthening or bracing means. It furthermore avoids the necessity I for a flange or thickened portion at its edges which rest on the supporting base while securing more perfectly their functions and 25 advantages. The novel features will be more fully understood from the following-description arid claims, taken with the drawings.

In the" drawings? l Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box emaob bodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section through one end of the box but for clearness omitting a showing of the vertical corrugations in the visible side wall.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3'of Figure 2 looking-down. I Figure/L is a vertical transverse section the line 4-4 of Figures 2 and 3.

Fi urev 5 is a vertical transverse section on Q the line 55'of Figures 2 and 3'.

Figure 6 is a section through the end on I the line 6-6 of Figurefi.

Figure 7 is a similar section on the line the line 8-8 of Figures 2 and 3; and Figure 9 is an outline of the shape of the bottom edgeof the box which rests on the vention-shown in the drawings, the annealwill be-noted that these concave Figure 8 is a vertical transverse section on ing box is made of a single piece of cast steel or cast iron of substantially uniform thickness throughout having a top rectangular in outlineand depending sides and ends having the outer surfaces of different portions comprising them 'at or within vertical planes passing through the marginal lines of the top, and the highest portions of the top being in a horizontal plane through the upper surfaces of the edge portions of.

the top. At each corner portion where the sides, ends and top meet and join each other at an angle, the body material forming the joint orconnection is on a curve transversely of the line of the joint, thus avoiding sharp angles between meeting parts where breakage would be likely to occur under the strains of expansion and contraction. These curved in section corner portions may for convenience be called corrugations.

As shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5,the top of the box has a series of similar concave portions 10' extending from the curved corner side margin 11 of the box to the opposite curved side margin 12 uniformly spaced from each other throughout the length of the box. A line extending longitudinally of the box along the surfaces of these concave portions at any fpoint will be parallel to the side margins o the top, but the curve of the concave transversely of the box is in the form ofa catenary to avoid permanent dis I tortion by expansion "and contraction. It rtions are much Wider than the spaces tween their adjacent edges, and that therefore they constitute the major portion of the top.

The body material at the-edges of these concave portions is curved upwardly at 13 joining the vertically extending portion 14 which at its upper portion is curved longitudinally of the box and then down to a vertical portion 15, corresponding to 14:,

and the lower part of the portion 15 intogrally joins the next adjacent concave portion through a curved portion 16, The upper margin or surface of the top curved portion 17 of the corrugations so formed is in a horizontal plane t ough the upper surface of the margin of the box top, and the corrugations of course extendtransversely of the box. The concave portion at the end of the series next to the end wall of the box has its side edge connected to that end wall by the curved portion 18 (see Figure 2), a vertical portion 19 and a curved'corner portion20 integrally joining the vertical upper portion 21 of the end wall, thus forming a corrugation similar to that between concave portions. The ends of the concave portions join the sides of thebox through curved portions or corrugations 11 of the shapeshown in Figure 1. Since the top lines of the corrugations 17 between the concave portions are in the same vertical plane "as corrugations in the sides, the curvedportion 'oining them to the sides is not so great as in the other instances mentioned, as shown at 12 in Figure 5.

The side walls of the box have corrugatend inwardly at an angle from the outer,

tions 22 extending from the upper top edges 11 and 12 down to and through or including the bottom edges, and they preferably have their outer center lines in the same vertical plane transversely of the box as the outer center lines of the top corrugations 17 Asedge of the transversely curved or corrugated side margin 11 of the top'as'shown in Fig. 4, and the lower end of that angularly extending part joins integrally at its lower edge'a flat vertically extending part i 24 parallel to the side margin of the top.

The flat vertical portions 24 'oin the corrugations 22 at the bases 0 their sides through slightly curved portions, as shown in Figure 3. The'tlat vertical portions 24 at the ends of the series are connected to similar flat vertical portions 25 of the end walls by a curved portion 26 joining a flat portion 27 extending outwardly to the corner curved portion or corrugation 28 which joins the inwardly extending fiat portion 29, which in turn joins the end flat portion 25 through the curved portion 30', as shown in Figure 3. This flat end portion 25 joins the top through the outwardly inclined portion 31, the vertical outer portion 32 and the end curved portion corrugations 20 as shown in Figures 6 and '4'. Each end includes two similar flat vertical portions 25 and they are connected by a corrugation 33 which is similar in shape to the side corrugations 22 and similarly arranged. As heretofore indi c'ated, the side corrugations 22, the end corrugations 33, and the corner corrugations 28, I

extend downwardly to and including the bottom edge of the box, but they are reduced in size or contracted at' their lower ends, whereby the body portion of which they are formed turns inward a short distance above the lower edge of the box, making the outward curve of that lower edge in line with the corrugation less than the outward curve above that point. Thisinward turning of the end and side corrugations is shown at 34 and 35 in Figures 1, 3 and 5, and the inward turning of the corner corrugations is shown at 36, Figures 1 and 3. This inward turning of the side, end andcorner corrugations is to bring their inner and outer margins in the bottom edge in line with the inner and outer margins of additional corrugations 37 formed in the bottom edge between adjacent side, end and corner corru'gations This gives the bottom edges of the sides and ends azig zag or fluted form, shown in Figure 9, with the outer points of the curves equal distances from a center line or in spaced parallel planes. It will be noted that the curves are close together longitudinally and are symmetrically arranged, thus furnishing a supporting contact surface extending laterally of the center line on opposite sides a distance as great as or even greater thanthat ordinarily provided in the form of a flange. This fluted form of the edge not only secures the necessary strength for'supporting the box during use but has the very decided advantage over a flange of permitting free expansion and contraction without permanent v distortion. The curves are so nuinerous and the distortion is so evenly distributed that it is very, slight at any one point, and is not so localized as to cause permanent distortion. This is true of the series of corrugations and curved connections throughout the entire annealing box,'and thus the effective useful life of thewbox is greatly prolonged. F It neither includes nor requiresstrengthening members or ribs.v

A pair of lifting hooks or projections 38 and 39 are preferably cast integral with the body portion projecting from the flat surfaces 24 of the concave portions of the sides with'their outer ends within a side plane passing along theou tercmargins of the side corrugations 22, and therefore do not so project as to be in the way of and be struck by outside things.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have devised an annealing box made by a single casting. The box consists of top, side, and end walls connected by curved portions at the. corners. The top wall has downwardly-extending concave or catenary portions extending transversely and 7 cave portions and the end walls are con-.

the side and end walls are provided with vertical corrugations. The transverse connected together by upwardly-extending and substantially parallel, flat portions which are joined by curved portions. The corners between the side and end walls are provided with outwardly-extending substantially parallel flat portions which are joined by curved portions. As hereinbefore pointed out the side and end walls are provided with short interveiiing corrugations at. the bottom side in order to afford suitable footing or foundation for the box. The construction of the 'box in this manner allows for expansion and contraction, which may be of corrugated structure allows a non-uniform character, without distorting or fracturing the box.

The outwardly-extending parallel flat portions connected by curved portions functionto permit linear expansion of adjacent parts, or differential by the curved portions.

7 metal rectangular 4 a While one specific embodiment is shown,

it will be understood that the invention is not limited to that form stated in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured byLetters Patent is:

annealing box of integral cast beyond what is of corrugations in its sides and ends with outer transversely curved margins extending downward from and in substantially the same vertical-plane as the outer straight margins 'of the corrugations. forming the edges of the top, the portions of the walls between adjacent corrugations extending inwardly of the box at an angle from top edge and from the outer. margins of the cor: rugations.

2. An a'nnealing box of integral cast metal rectangular in form, having a series of corrugations in its sideswith outer trans; versely' curved -margins extendin downward from and in substantially t e same vertical plane as the outer straight margins of, the corrugations forming the ed es of the top,'the portions of the side we bern form, having a series tween adjacent corrugations extending inof the box at an angle from top wardly edge and from the outer margins of the corrugations and a series of transverse corrugations in its top with upper transversely curved margins in substantially the same horizontal plane as the upper straight marginsof the edges of the top, the portions of the top between its edge portions and between adjacent corrugations being depressed inwardly of the box.

3. An annealing box of integral cast metal rectangular in form, having a series of corrugations in its sides with outer trans" ven'selycurved margins extending downward from of the corrugations forming the edges of the top, the portions of the side walls between adjacent corrugations extending inwardly of the box at an angle from top edge and from the outer margins of the corrugations and a series of transverse. corrugations in its top with upper transversely curved margins 'in substantially the same horizontal plane as the upper straight margins of the edges of k the top, the portions of the top between its edge portions and between adjacent corru-- gations being depressed inwardly of the box on curves transversely tions to the center line, on longitudinal lines parallel to the lines of the side margin of the .box.

4. An annealing box cast as an integral piece of metal having a top rectangular in from the side poroutline with spaced corrugations across it and having spaced corrugations extending therefrom down the sides and corner corrugations curved or rounded in section Where the sides join each other and where they the corrugations, the upper margins of the corrugations where the sides join the top and of those extending 3.01'0581'118 top being. in substantially a single plane.

5. An annealing box cast as an integral piece of nietal having a top rectangular in outline with spaced corrugations acrossit and having spaced corrugations extending therefrom, down the sides and corner corrugations curved or rounded in section where the sides join each other and where, they join the top, and concave portions between the corrugations, the upper margins. of the corrugations where the sides join the top A and of those extending across the top being insubstantially a single plane and the 'outer margins of the corrugations in each side including its corner corrugations being insubstantially a single plane.

6. An annealing box cast as an piece of metal having a top rectangular in outline with spaced corrugationsacross it and having spaced corrugations extending I and in substantially the same vertical plane as the outer straight margins their surfaces being 95 oin the top, and concave portions between 105 integral therefrom down the sides and corner corrugations curved or rounded in section where the sides join each other and where they join the top. the outer marginal lines of said corrugations being in substantially the same *planes as the straight margins of the rectangular top.

7 An annealing box having sides provided with spaced corrugations extending from the top to and including the bottom edges, the bottom edges being of substantially the same thickness as the balance of the sides and having intermediate corrugations between those of the sides.

8. An annealing box having sides provided with spaced corrugations extending from the top to and including the bottom edges, the bottom edges being of substantially the same thickness as the balance of the sides and having intermediate corrugations between those of the sides but extending laterally of the sides to a less extent; and the lower ends of the side corrugations at the,bottom edges being contracted to bring their outer margins in line with those of the intermediate corrugations.

' 9. An annealing box of integral cast metal rectangular in form, having a series of cor rugations in its sides with outer transversely curved-marginsv extending downward from a and in substantially the same vertical plane as the outer straight margins of the corrugations forming the edges of the top, the portions of the side walls betweenadjacent corrugations extending inwardly of the box at an angle from the top edge and from the outer margins of the corrugations.

10. An annealing box of integral cast metal rectangular in form, having a series of corrugations in its sides with outer transversely curved margins extending downward from and in substantially the same vertical plane as the outer straight margins of the corrugations forming the edges of the top, the portions of the side walls between adjacent corrugations extending inwardly of the box at an angle from the top edge and from the outer margins of the corrugations for a predetermined distance and then in aplane parallel to the top edge.

11. An annealing box of integral cast metal rectangular in form having a series of corrugations in its sides with outer transversely curved margins extending downward from and in substantially the same vertical plane as the outer straight margins of the corrugations forming the edges of the 'top,'

the portions of the side walls between adjacent corrugations extending inwardly of the box at an angle from the top edge and from the outer margins of the corrugations for a predetermined distance and then in aplane aarallel to the top edge, the bottom edges of Y e sides curved or corrugated longitudinally 13. An annealing box of cast metal having portions of material width extending substantially from one edge to the opposite edge in the form of a catenary.

14. An annealing box having'concave sections ofmaterial width extending from a line near one margin of the box to a line near the opposite margin, the concave being in the form of a catenary.

- 15. An annealing box' having a series of concave sections of material width extending from a line near one margin of the box .to a line near the opposite margin, the concave being in the form of a catenary, and integral corrugations between and connecting adjacent concave sections with their outer margins in substantially the same plane as the margins of the box.

16. An annealing box of cast metallof substantially uniform thickness including across the top from one edge to the other transversely curved at their upper-portions with their outer margins in substantially the plane of the top side edges and extending down in planes at substantially right angles to the sides and integrally connected to said [concave portion through a portion curved longitudinally of the box.

19. An annealing box of cast'metal having substantially uniform vertical corrugations in its sides with intermediate concave portions and integral lifting hooks ,on the concave portions below the top with their outer ends within the plane of the outer margins of said corrugations.

20. A cast iron annealing' box' having the major portion of its top curved in the form of a catenary. A a L f i 21. A cast iron annealing box having the major portion'of its top curved in the form of a catenary with intermediate relatively .narrow corrugations. I,

integral annealing box comprisi gg' 22. An top, side and end walls joined by curv corner portions, the top wall having transnecting corner portions, the oonnect' versely concave depending portions concorner portions between the side and en nected by transverse curved portions and Walls including outwardly-extending sub- 10 the side and end Walls having vertical corstantially parallel flat portions.

5 rugations. In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my 23. An integral annealing box comprising signature. top, side, and end walls having curved oon- HQWARD H. HUMMEL. 

